The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has temporarily stopped the National Highway Authority (NHA) from collecting additional toll charges from motorists, providing immediate relief to thousands of commuters using Pakistan’s motorway network. The court suspended the notification that imposed a 50 percent extra toll on drivers without an M Tag or those with insufficient balances in their accounts.
The order was issued by Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, who granted a stay against the implementation of the notification until the next hearing of the case. The court also issued notices to the National Highway Authority and other concerned parties, directing them to submit their replies before further proceedings.
The disputed notification had introduced an additional 50 percent toll tax for motorists who failed to use the M Tag electronic toll collection system or whose M Tag accounts did not have enough balance at the time of crossing toll plazas. Following the court’s order, the collection of these additional charges has been suspended until a final decision is made.
The case has drawn significant public attention as many motorists had expressed concerns over the increased financial burden created by the new toll policy. The latest ruling offers temporary relief while the legality of the notification is examined by the court.
This development comes only a few months after the federal government withdrew a planned increase in motorway toll rates. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the government to suspend a proposed quarterly rise in toll charges to ease the financial pressure on citizens facing economic challenges.
Following the prime minister’s instructions, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan ordered the NHA to withdraw its notification issued on April 1, which had scheduled higher toll rates from April 5. A revised notification was later released officially cancelling the planned increase.
The latest decision by the Islamabad High Court reinforces judicial oversight over public policies while providing temporary relief to motorists until the matter is decided in accordance with the law.
